Combination registering and counting mechanism.

ABSTRACT

A combination registering and counting mechanism which includes a register, such as a hand actuated punch. One of the elements of the register is movable relative to another element and one of the elements carries a counter connected with and advanced by the movement of the movable element.

United States Patent Inventor John welsh I 4676 Thirty-Second, San Diego. Calif. 92116 4 Appl. No. 794,491

Filed Jan. 28, 1969 Patented July 6, 1971 COMBINATION REGISTERING AND COUNTING MECHANISM 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 30/363, 235/1.3

Int. Cl B261 1/36 Field 01 Search 30/363,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,140,070 5/1915 Rose 346/14 1,574,906 3/1926 .Kurowski 235/13 2,006,396 7/1935 .lorgenson 30/363 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,989 2/1913 Great Britain 30/358 622,520 5/1949 Great Britain 30/358 Primary ExaminerRobert C. Riordon Assistant Examiner-J C. Peters Attorney-Warren H. F. Schmieding ABSTRACT: A combination registering and counting mechanism which includes a register, such as a hand actuated punch. One of the elements of the register is movable relative to another element and one of the elements carries a counter connectedwith and advanced by the movement of the movable element.

PATENTEUJUL 6:971 3.590.484

28 YNVFJNTOR.

JOHN WALSH @lv Qm A T TORNE Y COMBINATION REGISTERING AND COUNTING MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The field of the invention comprises registers for tickets or the like and counters for counting the number of items which have been registered, and falls within Class 30, Subclass 358.

2. Description of the Prior Art A search of the prior art revealed two British Pat. Nos. to wit:

Mallins No. 22,681

Huskinsson No. 428,135. The structures disclose highly complicated and expensive mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A registering mechanism, usually including two elements which are movable relative to one another for effecting registration. One of the elements carries a counter which is advanced by the movable element of the registering mechanism. Specifically, the registering element is a hand actuated ticket punch. One of the main pivoted levers of the punch is movable relative to the other. The latter carries a counter and is connected to the movable lever for advancing the counter.

Other features and the advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view of the mechanism showing, in phantom, an article to be punched;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top view of the mechanism looking in the direction of arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view looking in the direction of arrows 33 of FIG. I showing the handles of the main levers in section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The combination registering and counting mechanism includes a registering mechanism 22 and a counter 24.

The registering mechanism 22 includes two main elements, herein shown as two main levers 26 and 28, which are movable relative to one another to effect the registering function. One of the levers, namely lever 26, carries the counter 24 and the other lever is connected to the oscillatable shaft on the counter for effecting advancing of the counter through the relative movement of the levers.

Specifically, the register, for illustrative purposes, is in the form of a hand actuated ticket punch including the two levers 26 and 28 which cross one another and are held in cooperative relationship by a pivot 32. The lever 26 includes a punch hearing end 34 and a handle end 36. The end 34 carries a punch 38. The lever 28 includes an end 40 having an opening 42 which complements the shape of the outer end of the punch 38. The end of the lever 38 is in the form of a handle.

A paper guide 44 is interposed between the punch end 34 of lever 26 and the end 40 of lever 28, and is perforated at 46 for receiving the punch 38. A spring 48 is interposed between the handle ends of the lever and normally urges the levers to the position shown in the drawing.

As seen in FIG. I, the end 40 of lever 28 includes a bottom wall 50 and two upright walls 52 and 54, which walls form a channel. A base may be formed integrally with the frame of the counter or as herein shown a production-type counter 24 having a base 56 is carried by a subbase 58, the bases being attached to one another by screws 60. The lower portion of subbase 58 rests on the bottom 50 of lever end 40, fits snuggly between upright walls 52 and 54, and is held in place by screws 62.

One end of a link or lever 64 is connected by pivot 66 to the handle end 32 of lever 28. The other end of link 64 is pivotally attached by pivot 68 to one end of a first class lever 70. This latter lever is pivotally attached to the handle end 36 of lever 26 by pivot 72. The other end of lever 70 is attached to one end of a rod or wire 74 at 76, one end of the rod 74 being attached to the free end of a coil spring 78. The spring surrounds the actuating shaft 30 of counter 24. The other end of spring 78 is fixed to the shaft.

After a sheet 80 of material such as that shown in phantom is placed over the guide 46, the registration thereon can be effected by squeezing the handle ends 36 and 38 of levers 26 and 28 toward one another. In the illustrated embodiment this registration is by punching a hole in the sheet 80, such as a ticket. The squeezing of the levers 26 and 28 toward one another causes the punch 38 to perforate the ticket, and such squeezing will cause a counter clockwise movement of lever 70 through line 64 and a downward movement of the free end of spring 78, which downward movement causes tightening of the spring, the tightening of the spring causing turning of the shaft, which turning causes advancement of the counter, for example, an advancement of one digit. The numbers can be viewed through a glass covered window 82 as seen in FIG. 2.

The counter is provided with the usual reset knob 84.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that by virtue of applicant's invention a simple and inexpensive combination registering and counting mechanism has been provided. Furthermore, such invention utilizes mainly standard manufactured mechanism, i.e., the punch and counter, both of which are available on the market.

Heretofore it has been the practice, for example at sporting events, for the doormen to punch the admission ticket to cancel the same, retain the same and thereafter, after collecting all tickets from the doormen, count the same so as to announce later to the audience the number of people present. Of, if the tickets were of the type having a readily severable stub section, part thereof was retained and after collecting all the retained parts, they were counted.

By virtue of the present invention, each doorman is provided with the combination registering and counting mechanism. The counter of each doorman will show the total tickets passing him. The total of each counter can be summed readily, dispensing with the counting and providing for an earlier announcement of the total attendance.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A combination registering and counting mechanism for registering on a ticket of the like and for counting the number of registrations, comprising:

A. an element for registering;

B. a second element;

C. means for moving one of said elements for effecting registering of the registered element;

D. a counter carried by one of the elements;

E. means movable through the movement of the movable element for advancing the counter;

F. means for retaining the elements in cooperative registering relationship while providing movement of said one element;

G. a shaft for actuating the counter; a coil spring surrounding the shaft, one end of the coil spring being fixed to the shaft; and further characterized in that the means (C) includes:

l. a link, pivotally connected to one of the elements,

2. a first class lever pivotally connected to the other element, one arm of the lever being pivotally connected with the link,

3. means connecting the other arm of the lever with the other end of the coil spring.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the registering element is a punch and the second mentioned element has an opening for receiving this punch.

l. A portable combination ticket or the like registering mechanism and counting mechanism for countifig the number of registratioas, said eembifiatiaa eomprisihga said spring having one end connected with the shaft and having the other end connected with one of the levers for movement with said one lever.

4. A combination as defined in claim 3, characterized in that the registering mechanism element is a punch on one of the levers, the other of said levers providing and the second mentioned element has an opening for receiving this punch.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No- 3 590 484 Dated JulV 6, 1971 Inventor(s) IQhn (n fl Walsh Column 2, line 37, "Of" should be -Or-. Column 2, line 73, "l. should be -3. Column 4, line 5, Claim 4 should read as follows:

-4. A combination as defined in claim 3, characterized in that the registering mechanism is a punch on one of the levers, the other of said levers providing an opening for receiving this punch.

Signed and sealed this 28th day of December 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GO'I'TSCHALK Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents FORM Po-IOSO (10- uscoMM-nc BO37fi-P69 U S GOVERNMFNT PBINYINO OFFICE I959 O355-J34 

1. A combination registering and counting mechanism for registering on a ticket of the like and for counting the number of registrations, comprising: A. an element for registering; B. a second element; C. means for moving one of said elements for effecting registering of the registered element; D. a counter carried by one of the elements; E. means movable through the movement of the movable element for advancing the counter; F. means for retaining the elements in cooperative registering relationship while providing movement of said one element; G. a shaft for actuating the counter; a coil spring surrounding the shaft, one end of the coil spring being fixed to the shaft; and further characterized in that the means (C) includes:
 1. a link, pivotally connected to one of the elements,
 2. a first class lever pivotally connected to the other element, one arm of the lever being pivotally connected with the link,
 3. means connecting the other arm of thE lever with the other end of the coil spring.
 2. A combination as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the registering element is a punch and the second mentioned element has an opening for receiving this punch.
 2. a first class lever pivotally connected to the other element, one arm of the lever being pivotally connected with the link,
 3. means connecting the other arm of thE lever with the other end of the coil spring.
 4. A combination as defined in claim 3, characterized in that the registering mechanism element is a punch on one of the levers, the other of said levers providing and the second mentioned element has an opening for receiving this punch. 